Spring structure and method of assembling the same



W. H. KINNEY SPRING STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME FiledSept. 2, 1919 Patented May 5, 19 25. g srarss wen-m 1r. mm;

F CHICAGO; LLINOIS; A conro'im'rron.

.Omn..-

or oHIoAe-o; inrprnois; Assreu'ofa To Emmy-ROME coivr'mrnir,

srmne' s'rnnozrunn ann arn'rnon or ASSEMBLING THE SAME;

Application filed September inven't-ioinseeks to provide improved meansfor coupling the 'upholstering and spacing springs: which will securelyconnect the same,-and to provide an improved method oi} assembling whichwill facilitate and cheapen themanufactifire.

The invention consists 'n the features of improvement hereinafter setforth, illustrated in its preferredembodiment in the accompanyingdrawing and more particularly. pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing, higur'e 1 is a partial plan View of the springstr ucture'embodyingi'the present invention. FigureQ is a .detail'vi'ew 'on an:enlarged scale,-fparts being shown in vertical section on the line 2-2otFig.

1d FigureS-S is an endwiew of the'parts' shownin Fig. 2, and" Figure 4:is a View similar to .oneend of Fig. 2 and illustrating: a slight-'lIlUtlifiCtt'tlOIL- In the manufacture of spring structures of the typetowhiclr-iny improvement more particularly. relates, it hasheretoiorebeen customary to hold. the vertically disposed tupllolster ing springsj-at proper distances apartif'by means of small spiral or coil springshaving at their ends U slraped connector loops. the crown portions ofwhich encircled the uppermost coils of the upholstoring. spring-s,while: uiememberser the loops entered *thei-ends of the spiral spacingsprings, QZIChi'lO'OPbGlIIg provided with an outwardly projecting.hookyat its inner end thatengaged withthe' coils of the-spacing "springIn such prior strhcturesfthe U- sh apcid l connector loops were. formedofparallelarms or members and the width-of the loop plus the width ofthe hookat its inner end was so inaterially= greater than the innerdiameter 'ofthe spacing spring, that in the assembling,operationh wasnec- 2, 1919. Serial No. 321,189.

essary toscrew the end of the spacing spring over the nner portion ofthe loop. Inasmuch as, there is a connector loop at each end of thespacing spring, in the type of structure above referred to, it wasalsonecessary in the assembling operation to screw the loop first insertedwithin the spacing spring to a considerable distance beyond that whichit would normally occupy, so

that-by a reverse turning operation of the spacing. spring, the oppositeend of such" spring could be caused to spirally engage or screw on tothe connector loop at such opposite end. This method oiassembling theparts hasbeen' found expensive, and the primary object of my presentinvention is to enah'lea material saving of labor, and con sequent costof production, to be effected in the assembling operation.

A designatos the upholsteringsprings that I may be of the usualhour-glass or like type and B designates the spacing springs that extendbetween the uppermost coils a I of theupholstering springs A. In the.drawing,-I haveshown only four of the' upholstering springs A but itwill be understood,

of course, thatthese springs will be eniploycd in suitable number for abed or like article in which the spring structure is to be used,Ordinarily, thespacing springs B w'illbe arranged so as to intersecteach other, as-ii'idicated in Figure 1 of the drawmg, but thislis a wellknown arrangement,

and forms no part of the present invention. 'l he'endso'li the spacingsprings l3 are united to the uppermost coils a of the upholsteringspringzn by connector loops L. In the pro'lnrred embodiment of the,invention, each otthese loops is of general U-shape outline; that tosay, the loop comprises I arms oi members "0 and c that pass within theendportions of the spacing springs B. Preferably, the crown portion ofthe connector loop 10 that unites the members 0 and c" is arranged witha-seat c ofi'set at one side of said crown, the purposeof which seatwill presently more fully appear. Each connector loop G has atleast oneof its ends iii ettectively retain the loop atter it has been placed inposition within the end of the spacing spring B. Preferably, also, thearm or member r: of the loop (l made somewhat longer than the arm 0 andthe end of this arm n is turned inwardly, as at 0 to Facilitate theinsertion of the loop into the end coils of the spacing spring B. Inorder to more effectively hold the loops C within the. ends of: thespacing springs B, I prefer to distort or bend inwardly the end portions7/ of the outermost coils of the springs B so that after the loops Chave been inserted within the ends of the spacing springs B, they cannotwork loose therefrom, a

The method of assembling the parts hereinbefore described is as follows:The spacing springs B will be extended between the uppermost coils ofthe upholstering springs A, atter which the loops C will be passedaround the coils a of the springs A and will be thrust straight throughthe end coils of the spacing springs B until the outermost coils of suchsprings bear firmly against the upholstering springs A; and at suchtime, the uppermost coil of each upholstering spring A will rest withinthe offset seat c at the end of the corresponding loop C. The width ofthe loops 0, plus the hooks c at their ends, is slightly greater thanthe inner diameter of the spacing springs B but as these loops C areformed of resilient material, the members or arms will be compre sedtowards each other so as to permit the straight thrust of the members orarms 0 and a of the loops and the hooks 0 into the end coils of thesprings B. Inasmuch as the hook of each loop C is preferably formed witha guard 0 it will be seen that after the loop has been thrust into thespacing spring B the required distance, the loop may be drawn slightlyoutward to cause the coil 7) of the spacing spring I) with which it isto engage to pass behind the gum-d c". By forming the loops C so thatthey may he thrust straight through the end coils ot the spacing springsto the required position for use, the necessity of screwing the spacingsprings onto the loops is avoided and hence a material saving in timeand labor in the assembling of parts is effected.

The object in forming the loops C with the offset. seats 0 in theircrown portions is to insure the holding of the upper portions of thespacing springs more nearly in line with the coils oi": the upholsteringsprings, thus giving a flatter and more uniform surface to thestructure; and by thus providing the loops C with offset seats 0 thetendency of the loops to turn and twist is also resisted. By so formingthe loops (l so that they may be thrust straight through the end coilsof the spacing springs l3, it is possible to form the end coils of thespacing springs l) at the outset with the distorted or inwardly bentportions 7), which would not be possible it the loops were so 'lorn'ied,as in prior structures, that the spacing springs had to be united to theloops by screwing the springs onto the loops.

While I have described what I regard as the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is obvious that details of the invention may be variedwithout departing from the scope thereot Thus, for example, in Figure 4of the drawing, I have shown a form of connector loop in which the guardc is omitted and in which the crown of the loop is provided with anextended portion 0 that will enable the loop to be more readily graspedwhen it is to be inserted in the end of the spacing spring B.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiralspacing springs extending between the upholstering springs, andconnectors adapted to be inserted through the open end and into the bodyof the spacing spring, each of said connectors comprising a memberlooped around a portion of the upholstcring spring and having a pair ofspaced arms, both bent in the same direction in the plane of the loopand inserted into the end of the spacing spring, the bend in one of thearms forming a hook for engaging between two consecutive coils of thespacing spring.

2. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering sprin s, spiralspacing springs extending between the upholstering springs, andconnectors adapted to be inserted through the open end and into the bodyof the spacing spring, each of said connectors comprising a memberlooped around a portion 0']? an upholstering spring and having a pair ofspaced arms inserted in the end of the spacing spring, one oi said armsbeing 'l'orn'ied with an outturned hook for engaging an inner coil ofthe spacing spring at one side of the latter and the other of which armsresiliently engages the opposite side of the spring to hold the hookengaged with said coil.

3. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiralspacing springs extending between the upholstering springs and endconnectors on the spacing springs, each of which comprises a, memberlooped around a portion of an upholstering spring and having a pair ofspaced arms secured in the end of the spacing spring and hooked onto aninner coil thereof by relative movement of the spacing spring andconnector in a plane coinoident with the arms of the connector and theaxis of the spacing sprin 4. In a Spring structure the combination ofupholstering springs, spiral spacing springs extending between theupholstering springsand connectors on the ends of the spacing springsengaging the upholstering springs, each of said connectors comprising aloop with a pair of spaced arms inserted straight into the end of thespiral spring and an outturned hook on one of the arms interlocked withan inner coil of the spacing spring by separating tension between thearms.

5. In a spring structure the combination of upholstering springs, spiralspacing springs extending between the upholstering springs and havingconnectors on the ends, engaging the upholstering springs each of saidconnectors comprising aloop with a pair of spaced arms insertablestraight into the end of the spiral spring and an out turned hook on oneof the arms yieldingly arranged so as to retract from each successivecoil of the spacing spring as the arms of the connector are insertedtherein and spring outwardly between two adjoining coils of the spacingspring when the connector is fully inserted and thereby interlock withone of said coils to prevent removal of the connector. c

6. In a spring structure the combination of a pair of spacedupholstering springs, a spacing spring interposed between theupholstering springs, a connector at each end of the spacing springlooped around a portion of the adjacent upholstering spring and having apair of spaced arms inserted straight into the end of the spacingspring, and interlocked with a' coil of the spacing spring at a distancefrom the end, and means on the end of the spacing spring co-operatingwith the connector to hold the latter against turning movement as it isinserted in the spacing spring.

7. In a spring structure the combination of apair of upholsteringsprings, a spiral spacing spring extending between the upholsteringsprings, a connector Inserted and locked in each end of the spacingspring and engaging a portion of theadjacent upholstering spring andmeans on each end of the spacing spring engaging the respectiveconnectors for holding said connectorsv against turning movement as theyare inserted 1n the spacing spring.

8. A sprlng structure comprising upholstering springs, splral spacingsprings extending between and engaging the ends of said upholsteringsprings, and connector loops each having upper and lower membersinserted and locked in the end of a spacing spring and an off set seatat the bight of each connector loop eccentrically arranged at the outerend of the spacing spring and WILLIAM H. KINNEY.

